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Ex-President Trump stated on Sunday that he was not really contemplating providing Ukraine with advanced Tomahawk missiles. In response to a query by a reporter aboard his plane, he responded, “No, not at the moment.” Recent accounts had suggested the U.S. Department of Defense told the administration that American inventories of Tomahawks were ample to allow this transfer.

Ukraine's Defense Efforts Continue Without Missile Lack

Although Ukraine has been pursuing Tomahawk missiles to conduct long-range attacks against Russia, it has still succeeded to wage a effective campaign using its domestically-produced unmanned aerial vehicles and rockets against Moscow's military and key targets, such as oil depots and processing plants. On Sunday, a Ukrainian airstrike hit the port facility on the Black Sea, igniting a fire and damaging two ships, according to Moscow officials. Nearby Russian airports in the area also had to be shut down.

Turkish Refineries Turn to Alternative Oil Supplies

Turkey's largest oil refining facilities are boosting purchases of non-Russian crude in reaction to the recent international sanctions on Russia, according to market insiders. Turkey is a major purchaser of oil from Russia, along with Beijing and India, but processing companies are following New Delhi's lead in reducing supplies.

STAR Refinery Diversifies Crude Procurement

One of the largest Turkish refining plants, SOCAR Turkey Aegean Refinery (STAR), owned by Azeri company SOCAR, has lately acquired multiple shipments of crude from Iraqi, Kazakh, and other alternative suppliers for year-end arrival, according to sources. This represent approximately 77,000 to 129,000 barrels daily of alternative supply, varying by cargo size. By comparison, Russian crude made up virtually the entirety of the STAR refinery's supply in October and September, totaling approximately 210,000 barrels per day, according to market information. SOCAR declined to comment.

Tupras Also Increasing Alternative Purchases

The other major Turkey's refiner – Tupras – was additionally raising acquisitions of alternative types of crude, according to two sources. Tupras was also likely to in the near future entirely eliminate imports from Russia at a key facility of its primary main Turkish refineries to maintain fuel exports to the EU without breaching the EU’s incoming sanctions. The refiner declined to comment to a request for a statement.

Ukrainian Deploys Elite Units to Pokrovsk

Kyiv has sent special forces to the heavily contested east city of Pokrovsk in an attempt to repel an intense Moscow's offensive comprising thousands of troops, according to Ukraine's senior military leader. The city, called “the entrance to Donetsk,” is located on a major logistical route for the Ukrainian army and has been in Moscow’s sights for more than a year as Russia pushes to control the entire eastern Donetsk region.

Latest Developments in Pokrovsk

No fewer than two hundred Moscow's troops had penetrated the city's defences, Kyiv reported last week, while analysts assessed that others were advancing on its outskirts in a pincer-shaped maneuver. In his evening speech on Sunday, the Ukrainian president mentioned the combat in Pokrovsk and “successes in the destruction of the invading forces.”

Zelenskyy Announces Strengthened Air Defense System

Zelenskyy, who has been urging his allies for additional air defense systems to counter Moscow's strikes, stated on Sunday that Ukraine had strengthened its air defense capabilities with Berlin's support. “We've strengthened the U.S.-made Patriot component of our Ukrainian air defence,” he said, referring to the advanced U.S.-made air-defence systems. Not offering additional information, the Ukraine's leader singled out Germany and its chancellor, Friedrich Merz, for gratitude.

Russian Strikes Claim Innocents, Disrupt Electricity

Russian unmanned aircraft and missiles targeting Ukraine took the lives of no fewer than six people, including 2 children, and disrupted power to tens of thousands of residents, authorities reported on Sunday. Moscow's military struck the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa regions, according to the representatives of Ukraine’s chief prosecutor. The victims were male minors aged 11 and fourteen, said the nation's human rights commissioner. Russia’s strikes disrupted power to the entire eastern Donetsk region as well as nearly 58,000 households in the south Zaporizhzhia region, their governors said. Ukraine’s Vostok military unit said some of its members were killed in a particular of the Russian strikes on the region.